1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communication system having an external device and an image forming apparatus; a communication method; and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with the spread of mobile phones having a camera function, it is possible to conveniently take digital pictures anytime anywhere. Moreover, since the capacities of memories included in the mobile phones are larger, the mobile phones are increasingly used as personal storage devices for storing data, such as digital pictures and business documents. With a reduction in the size and thickness of mobile phones, a memory to be included in a mobile phone is realized by a memory about the size of a fingertip or smaller, namely a card-type memory.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-267370 discloses a wireless communication method in which when a user moves his/her noncontact ID card (or wireless communication device incorporating a noncontact ID card) close to a card reader/writer section of an image processing apparatus, an IC chip of the noncontact ID card receives weak radio waves including terminal ID indicating the ID of the image processing apparatus, which are always emitted from the card reader/writer section, obtains the terminal ID, and sends the user ID of the noncontact ID card to the image processing apparatus by using the terminal ID.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32176 discloses a communication system in which when a user moves a mobile phone including a noncontact IC card for communicating with a reader/writer of a personal computer by means of electromagnetic waves close to the personal computer and the noncontact IC card receives electromagnetic waves radiated from the reader/writer, the mobile phone notifies the personal computer of card ID set for the noncontact IC card, and then the personal computer identifies the mobile phone on the basis of the notified card ID and recognizes it as a communication partner.